5-Star Archives - The Litertarian

Book Review:: We Met Like This | Kasie West

This is the kind of book you have to pause the audio when you have literally anything that takes brain power, because you don’t want to miss a second. Something about this book has you constantly turning pages. The chemistry, the tension, the absolute mess of the FMCs life. So delicious.

We Met Like This by Kasie West Book Cover

Margot and Oliver meet on a dating app. Their first date is a disaster. But then they keep matching…and matching. Eventually three years pass and Margot is still looking for Mr. Right, while making some bad Mr. Right Now choices. Oliver is in the same way, and through the dating app messaging system, they become sort of friends.

Their connection is so sparkly. I mean–sparks everywhere. It’s probably a hazard. But their first date was so bad, it holds them back from pursing more in the present.

Until. They. Do.

This book had me screaming, crying, kicking my feet. Margot made me slightly crazy with some of her over-the-top and highly selective decisions through the middle of the book, and some of the middle was a little but they don’t feel the same way kind of angst which dragged the tiniest bit, but overall, absolute banger of a romance novel.

9/10, Recommend.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: We Met Like This
Author:: Kasie West
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Saturday Books
Length:: 368 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 19m
Audiobook Narrator:: Katie Bloomwood
Published:: September 16th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance | Bethany Turner
The Reluctant Flirt | Jennifer Probst
Hate Mail | Donne Marchetti

Book Review:: Buckeye | Patrick Ryan

What can I say about this stunning novel except that it will move you.

It is a story of life, love and war, family and community, marriage, parenthood, independence and dependence, skepticism and mysticism, hope, lies, and truth. It will bring you through lofty highs and the lowest lows as it navigates the intersecting stories of two families drawn together by a moment of celebration, exuberation, and desperation.

It will pull you back into 20th century America with an empathetic eye for those who lived through some of the hardest years of our history.

It will squeeze your heart as you somehow absorb currents of feeling flowing through these characters in such a real and surprising way.

Buckeye is a triumph, and I could not recommend it more highly. What a wonderful, wonderful book.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Buckeye
Author:: Patrick Ryan
Genre:: Historical Fiction
Publisher:: Random House
Length:: 464 pages
Audio Length:: 15h
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Published:: September 2nd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Correspondent | Virginia Evans
Whale Fall | Elizabeth O’Connor
I’ll Come to You | Rebecca Kauffman
The Cheesemaker’s Daughter | Kristin Vukovic

Book Review:: Pitcher Perfect | Tessa Bailey

Girl meets boy. Girl hates boy for being a sleezy womanizer. Boy is completely lost for her. Girl ‘hires’ him to fake date in order to catch the boy of her dreams and impress her family at their uncivilized annual event. Feelings catch and blaze along the way.

Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey Book Review

It’s a tale as old as time. Or at least, it must be because the amazon marketplace is flooded with them. Another fake dating sexy sports romance novel is here, and folks, you’re actually not going to want to miss it!

Okay so every time it just feels so cheesy for anyone anywhere at anytime agreeing to ‘FAKE DATE’. Like, I really don’t understand this trope at all. That being said, there are good ways to do it, and Tessa Bailey nailed it in Pitcher Perfect. Both characters are highly motivated, and everything clicks together like a snug little puzzle piece that is so satisfying to find.

The process of falling in love in this novel isn’t rushed, but at the same time, we don’t have to wait for it either. There is insecurity there for each of the characters, but their falling together is so inevitable and wonderful it’ll make you giddy. Also, the protectiveness thing is what gets me going, and this book had me feral with it.

Tessa Bailey is clearly a master at her craft, and if you like sexy little books, girl, get over here. The best part? I have SUCH a backlist to devour. *chefs kiss*

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Pitcher Perfect (Big Shots #4)
Author:: Tessa Bailey
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: Avon
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 12h
Audiobook Narrator:: Callie Dalton & Teddy Hamilton
Published:: September 9th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Only Between Us | Ellie K. Wilde
Gloves Off | Stephanie Archer
Slipstream | Madge Maril
A Beginner’s Guide to Forever | Kendall Ryan

Book Review:: Obsession Falls | Claire Kingsley

Y’ALL. If you have never read a romantic suspense novel, it is an oversight that must be remedied. It is the perfect blend of swoon level romance and page turning thriller. It is mystery and the majesty of love with an emphasis on the love and I am here for it.

Obsession Falls by Claire Kingsley Book Cover

In this particular novel, a girl comes back to the town she left long ago, looking to settle into a new life. Needing a little distance from her mother, she rents a little place from a drop-dead gorgeous contractor who mistakes her at first for a squatter (his sister hooked her up with the place, it was a whole thing). Anyway, they have a sexy meet-cute, and run into each other often since he’s working on remodeling the rental unit next door. Strange things keep happening around Audrey, dead squirrels on her property, and incidents that only escalate from there, and Josiah is the one making sure she’s safe. It doesn’t take the two of them long to form a strong connection, and even though he’s been burned in love before, he can’t deny the hold this girl has on him.

Josiah is a strong silent type with big feelings he plays close to the chest. Audrey is kind of a sunshine character who is struggling in a new career that seems doomed from the start. She doesn’t have any enemies, which makes what’s happening to her all the more mysterious.

Give me all the books like this. All the typical romance stuff is in there, but there are high physical stakes that jack it all up on steroids until it makes you completely obsessed with the story. Apt title! These are the kinds of books you absolutely devour, and that feeling is unmatched!

Details

Title:: Obsession Falls (Haven Brothers #1)
Author:: Claire Kingsley
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 38m
Audiobook Narrator:: Connor Crais, Ava Erickson, & Scott Rose
Published:: February 4th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

All the Missing Pieces | Catherine Cowles
Storms and Secrets | Claire Kingsley (Book Two)
A Killer Getaway | Sienna Sharpe

Book Review:: Once Upon A Crime | Brynn Kelly

Did you know an audible subscription comes with access to tons audiobooks you don’t have to use credits to listen to (as long as you’re still a member)? I find them to be kind of hit and miss, but I loved Once Upon A Crime by Brynn Kelly so much I had to review it.

Once Upon A Crime by Brynn Kelly Book Cover

Lana and her sister are usually close, but recently, she’s been distant. That is, until she entirely disappears. Determined to find out what happened to her, Lana wiggles her way onto the same tv set her sister worked on as an extra to see what she might find out. But when she sneaks onto the set which is abandoned for the long weekend, she finds she’s not alone. There’s not just anyone stranded there with her. It’s Griffin frigging Hart, the top tier of A-list stars. Not that Lana can fully appreciate that fact, seeing as she only learned who he was last week (she doesn’t get out much). When she explains her goal, instead of calling security or the police, Griffin decides to help.

This is such a fun story! There’s lots of action, twists and turns, and flirting. But there’s also some deep conversations and deeper themes packed in behind a lot of the racket. It’s structured so well and the characters contrast to perfectly complement one another.

Though at the beginning of the story Lana is the only one convinced something is wrong, there is a real story that begins to come together about her sister, and several mysteries to unravel. Though this was quite long for an Audible Original story, I was engaged and interested the entire time. The balance between romance and suspense was done so well and the tone is light enough to be a casual listen.

If you’re an audible member, you can listen to this for free. There is a link to the audible page below, all you have to do is click ‘add to library’ and you’re ready to go. I wouldn’t recommend every title in the audible originals collection, but I certainly recommend this one – don’t miss it!

Details

Title:: Once Upon A Crime
Author:: Brynn Kelly
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: Audible Original
Audio Length:: 10h 50m
Audiobook Narrator:: Chase Brown & Rebekkah Ross
Published:: March 6th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

aUDIBLE

Goodreads

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If you liked this book, check out…

All the Missing Pieces | Catherine Cowles
PS I Hate You | Lauren Connolly
The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins

Book Review:: The Book of Lost Hours | Hayley Gelfuso

A big idea can change the world, for what is the world as we know it, but ideas? It starts small, inside the mind of one person, who grapples with it, tries to fully understand it, articulate it into words to share with another mind, who will poke and it, test it, expand it. Some of them wither and die under scrutiny, and others balloon with importance and have the power to change the world as we know it. Democracy. Germ theory. And in the case of The Book of Lost Hours, the manipulation of time.

The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso Book Cover

This book is a wonder. Any book about time is going to bend our ideas of a timeline, and this one plays with the strings of time beautifully, skillfully, coherently, it will have you enthralled. This is a page turning thriller with so much heart and intellectual stimulation it will grip you and not let go until the final dang sentence.

It’s also the kind of book with twists and turns and the simple joys of small discoveries. With that, I don’t want to spoil one detail of the plot for those of you who go on to read this, which I very much recommend you do. It is marketed as a mashup of The Ministry of Time and The Midnight Library and I could not come up with a better description of this impressive novel.

Hayley Gelfuso, you are a genius and I think I will pick up anything you put down. Also, what do you mean this is a debut novel. Masterful work. Thank you, sincerely, for writing this fascinating book.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Book of Lost Hours
Author:: Hayley Gelfuso
Genre:: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Romance
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 400 pages
Audio Length:: 13h 41m
Audiobook Narrator:: Carlotta Brentan
Published:: August 26th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Ministry of Time | Kaliane Bradley (review coming soon)
The City in Glass | Nghi Vo
The Gravedigger’s Almanac | Oliver Potzsch

Book Review:: Everything is Probably Fine | Julia London

Julia London’s new novel Everything Is Probably Fine is an absolute triumph. I’m convinced this novel has the potential to change the world, at least for those who can find a piece of themselves in this story. If you can’t tell, I am one of them. It’s about a strong woman who has pushed blindly forward her entire life, past things that cause her pain, because she’s the one who had to hold things together. Until one day, the lid she’s clamped down over it all can’t hold it in anymore, and she’s forced to deal with things she never wanted to think about again.

Everything Is Probably Fine by Julia London Book Cover

In many ways I’m not necessarily proud to admit to, I am like Lorna. We come from broken families, have siblings with substance abuse issues, deal with overwhelm often with anger (at least internally), and are always expected by those we love to be the soft landing space whenever they have problems (creating lots of pressure to constantly have it all together enough for everyone). Though she doesn’t realize it, she’s at a breaking point: crying often for no apparent reason, avoiding mail piling up in the corner, obsessed with buying back the home where she last had happy memories with her family. The final straw lands at work, and she is forced to participate in a mental health recovery program if she wants to keep the job she genuinely loves.

Lorna’s journey is one of clarity, grief, and forgiveness. She is…highly encouraged…to revisit some of her most formative memories. We all know that memory is fallible. We know it, but it doesn’t feel like it is. Sometimes some distance and looking at things from the perspective of your now-disconnected self can be eye-opening.

It is both this exploration of the past, and navigating the present with the people who live in the now split-into-apartments building she once lived in with her family. There’s a puppy, a charming little boy, and his single-father doing his best. What’s not to like?

I absolutely recommend this book! It’s not really comparable to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, but I feel like they’re perhaps kindred spirits. This book is balm to the damage of our souls (big or little). Please read it!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Everything is Probably Fine
Author:: Julia London
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: HarperMuse
Length:: 368 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 50m
Audiobook Narrator:: Marni Penning
Published:: August 12th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Thank You for Listening | Julia Whelan
Amazing Grace Adams | Fran Littlewood
Maybe Next Time | Cesca Major

Book Review:: He Falls First | Jill Shalvis

Jill Shalvis can be depended upon for a heartstrings tugging romance that will linger in your bloodstream. He Falls First, her newest release and first in a new series, is no exception. Penny and Ryder will grip your heart with their story, and then melt it entirely.

He Falls First by Jill Shalvis Book Cover

Penny is back home to care for her family, her aging grandmother and young brother, after a hell of a false start. She’s home to heal and to nurture, that’s it. That’s enough. She’s not ready to even think about men anymore. But Ryder Colburn is everywhere. In her house (dropping off her grandmother’s caregiving charge), in her workplace (she works for his sister’s catering company and regularly feeds his contracting crew), and ever-increasingly in her head. Penny is skittish from her past experience, but Ryder is a patient, kind man. He has a gaggle of younger siblings he’s always been responsible for, his own business, and he knows all about hard pasts. He has one himself. But he’s a lot farther on the road of acceptance and growth, and accepts Penny for who she is an exactly where she’s at.

*swoon*

Okay, can we talk about how hot it is to have such a patient man? He knows his own mind, and knows when to step in and when to step away. He’s not pushy at all, ever, but he also positions himself to be able to keep an eye on this woman he has this energetic connection with. He’s exactly what Penny needs, and they absolutely both deserve the comfort and love the other has to offer.

What can I say except this book is an easy win. If you’re looking for your next emotional romance read, choose this one, and then dive into the extensive backlist of equally touching and swoon-y Jill Shalvis novels. Her characters are wounded and passionate and will bring you to your knees every time.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: He Falls First (Colburn Brothers #1)
Author:: Jill Shalvis
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca
Length:: 352 pages
Published:: August 5th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Wild Eyes | Elsie Silver
The Love Fix | Jill Shalvis

Book Review:: Who We Used to Be | Caitlin Weaver

When tragedy strikes, there is no telling how you’ll react. Not really. Even your closest relationships can be caught in the collateral damage. And they almost always bring to light the things that have gone unnoticed for too long. Who We Used to Be by Caitlin Weaver is an exploration of family and friendship while navigating difficult transitions, and tragedy.

Who We Used to Be by Caitlin Weaver Book Cover

Everything is unraveling at the Blair house. Dana’s business, Dana’s marriage, Dana’s relationship with her son. Her daughter is the only one she doesn’t have to worry about, an overachiever in everything she does. That is, until she collapses at school. Luckily, her best friend and next door neighbor, Padma, is an ER doctor and is there for her daughter’s intake. Everything checks out fine, until she slips into a coma hours later. It is one crisis after another for Dana, who now has to cope with the fact her dearest friend likely missed something that led to her daughter’s condition. Padma, too, is already dealing with a lot. She’s a workaholic who is up for a prestigious promotion, but this situation could jeopardize everything, even her longstanding sobriety. Their daughter’s are best friends in the same way they are themselves, but one day can change everything.

Wow. This book blew me away. Every character has something going on that adds to the drama and intrigue of this novel, and everyone is just trying to cope with their new reality. Dana’s son’s story line was especially touching. More of a risk taker to start with, he doesn’t handle his twin sister’s absence from his life well. He was written with such nuance and compassion, my heart goes out to him. Strange, perhaps to say that about a fictional character, but this book feels absolutely real.

I am beyond impressed with this novel. It’s a family saga condensed into a handful of months during their most difficult time. It’s compelling as hell, the tension is high, but it isn’t some mystery thriller psycho-on-the-loose situation. There is no blatant crime or bad intentions. It’s real family drama. It’s fascinating, and I think it will appeal to all kinds of readers. I can’t wait to dig into Caitlin Weaver’s backlist! If this novel is any indication, she’s a force to be reckoned with!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Who We Used to Be
Author:: Caitlin Weaver
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: Storm Publishing
Length:: 420 pages
Published:: July 29th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

amazon

Goodreads

author website

If you liked this book, check out…

Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
Hate Follow | Erin Quinn-Kong
Splendid Little Schemes | Robin Strong

Book Review:: As A Last Resort | Kristin Wollett

Burying your head in the sand is so much easier than facing your past. Or in Samantha’s case, fleeing her home town, severing all ties, and hyper-focusing on her New York career like she doesn’t have a past at all. That is, until her development company starts eyeballing the island she grew up on for a new luxury resort and the only way to reach her professional goals is to try to win the lead on the account.

As A Last Resort by Kritstin Wollett Book Cover

This book has no right being as good as it is. From the classically charming rom-com moments to the character growth, weighty themes, and details that will have you swooning, As A Last Resort had me laughing, crying, clutching my chest, and the only thing I didn’t like is that it’s already over.

Samantha was so wounded by her mother’s bad habits that she abandoned even the good parts of her formative years to escape from it. Her best friend Lexie was really hurt by her abrupt departure and subsequent ghosting, and now she’s on the precipice of her wedding when Sam finally shows her face on the island again. Samantha has to take accountability for her actions, even when she never intended any harm.

Lexie’s older brother Austin, who was badly burned by the relationship he thought would go the distance, is the one who ferries Sam back home, and saves her from confronting her biggest fears too early. His life has become stagnant in his fear of more big changes with unexpected, possibly catastrophic consequences, but Samantha makes him realize just how stuck in his ways he’s become. He’s one heck of a sympathetic hero, and he’ll have you swooning after him too before it’s all said and done.

The balance of Sam’s professional life, personal life, and love life is done impeccably well, and we’re right there with her as she navigates the tangle she finds herself in. She’s a sensible girl, but she’s also wounded, and that isn’t an easy thing to overcome.

As A Last Resort is a debut effort by author Kristin Wollett and I have to say, she knocked it out of the park. My eyes will be fully open for anything she publishes going forward, and I can only hope they all come as close to contemporary romance perfection as this one did. All the thumbs, way, way up!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: As A Last Resort
Author:: Kristin Wollett
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Forever
Length:: 400 pages
Published:: September 2nd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars